It’s Read Around the Rainbow time! On the last Friday of every month, we’re a bunch of authors who get together and blog on the same topic, and in honour of Halloween, we’re talking monsters this time around.
The majority of what I write is paranormal, but for the most part, I’m sticking to the ‘normal’ creatures. You know, vampires and shifters and such. I don’t know if I’d call them monsters. Maybe. I don’t know if I have a favourite monster. When I was younger, I’d have said vampires were my favourites, but… I like shifters.
Ha! I thought this post would be easy to write, but I’m typing and deleting, and typing and deleting. What makes a monster a monster? Most of what I write and what I read are normal paranormal romances with shifters, vampires, magic users, the occasional orc or demon, but while they might have cruel rituals, harsh rules to keep the order, and so on, they have something good inside. They strive to make the world a better place, or at least to make life better for their pack, coven, city, following, or whatever. In many cases, they’re just like normal people.
They have abilities and longevity we don’t have, and that’s the allure – at least for me. I want to escape reality, so I read about werewolves. They’re not monsters. The real monsters are the middle-aged men in positions of power around the world. Look around, and then you’ll realise you can’t easily spot the monster in the crowd. They’re disguised as humans. Stepping into the world of made-up monsters is way more relaxing than living in the real world.
So favourites? Let’s say shifters are my favourites today. Then I’d recommend the Big Bad Wolf series by Charlie Adhara. If we don’t care about staying under the LGBTQIA+ umbrella The Others series by Anne Bishop. There the monsters rule and humans are meat. Quite refreshing, actually LOL.
Ofelia Grand 